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y wwwseessewf JOI-IN KELLY, O SLIPPRY ROCK, PENNSYLVANIA.

Letters Patent No. 88,181, dated March 23, 1869. I

v mnmovrn: BRIDGE.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making pan: of the aange.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved bridge.

Figure 2 is a vertical section of the salue.

Figure 3 is a detached view of the lnodc of fastening the rope ill the bridge-shoe.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts ill the several figures.

The nature of my invention consists- First, in the; constlcnon'ol tnespan of'nlebridge of three plates, two of which are provided with flanges, ill such a lllanner that when the three plates are bolted together, they form a hollow' tliaugular beam,'the upper side being i'lat alld straight, and the under side an cdge,-to which thc support-s alld braces are secured.

Second, ill the met-bod of attaching the supports and braces to the span, and the` means of accomplishing this.

Third, ill the connection of the shoes of thc bridgeto each other by means of' a wire rope,` instead of beams, as is usual, so as to make the bridge itself elastic and yielding, which rope can be tightened or slackened as occasion lllay require.

Fourth, ill the attachment of the supports and braces at their bottom to the plates sliding on the bracing-rope.

A A, in the drawings, represent abutments, on which the shoes B of the bridge rest.

vThe shoes B are connected to each other byaspall, constructed of three plates, of il'oll or other suitable material, C D E.

The plates D and E are each provided with anges, d d' and c c', ill such a manner that when the plates are put together, d e lie flat against and` arc bolted to the plate C, and the flanges d' e lie flat against and arc bolted to each other, forllling a hollow triangular span.

'llle flanges l c are riveted to the plate C, as shown at c, alld the flanges ll' c', to each other, by the boltsj 'lo the flanges (Zc' are bolted plates y, between which the upper eyed ends of supports E, and braces G H, are bolted by bolts h, in the manner shown, their lower a-lld also eyed ends being bolted by bolts fi, between the ends of plates j, which, passing around the wire rope I, forlll clips, which slide freely on the latter.

The wire lrope l serves as a. brace to thc span C D E, and'is provided at each end with an eye, k, held by a staple, l, the endso'f which pass through the shoes B, and are secured I,by nu't m.

The great advantage of forming the span of three plates is, that their 'lower edges, d' e', form a support for the supports F and braces G H, thus forming an easylllealls of 'attaching the latter, and bringing the strain equally over the plates C D E.

As the span, by the continual strain upon it, gives,

it tightens the rope I, and thus the strain is arrested,

and its power brought to bear on the rope in the direction of its length, more than at right angles to the saule, for the weight of anything passing over the bridge does not come upon 'the rope, but upon the span, the cross-braces which sustain the planking, resting on theclps j, between the supports and braces F G I, and lmtupeli t )6 rope I;

Ally weight coming o'll the bridge, exerts its power first on the supports F, and tllen on the braces G and H, from whatever side it may come.

The braces being fastened in the clips j, which slide freely on the rope I, the power is llever exerted on a few certaill spots of the latter, which would soon-wear those particular spots out, but over its whole surface, tllus rendering the rope more durable than if the clips were fastened at certain spots on the same. It will be easily understood that by taking out two bolts,.any of the braces or supports lllay be removed, and-new ones substituted, without disturbing any of the other parts of the bridge; and as the parts may be constructed of cast or wrought-iron, or any other suitable material, it forms at once a strong and cheap bridge. C A v The tension of the rope I can at any time be regulated by means of nuts m.

Having thus described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to securefby Let ters Patent, is

1. The span, when constructed of plates O D E, the two latter provided with flanges l dand e e', which are arranged to forln a support f'or the braces F G H, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The plates g,when bolted to the flanges d e', and supportillg between tllelu the upper eyed ends of supports F and braces G H, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

3. The clips j, when supporting t-llelower eyed ends of supports F alld braces G H, and sliding freely on rope I, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. 1

Witnesses: JOHN J. KELLY.

Anexa. A. 0. KLAUCKE, SAMUEL SMITH. 

